How to be PinterestingPinterest for Small Business

Pinterest Basics

Pinboards: A pinboard is a collection of images or videos that you curate, (collect, refine, manage). You can have as many as you want.

Think of yourself as a Curator of your own Museum

Pins: A pin is the act of placing an image or video on a pinboard.

Pin it bookmarklet: Pinterest provides a bookmarklet that you can install on your browser that allows you to easily pin things around the web. Most websites will display several images which you can choose from to pin.

Pinterest Basics

Gift Pins: If you use the “$” sign followed by any dollar amount in the description of a pin it will insert a banner displaying that dollar amount over the top left side of the image in Pinterest, and also place it in the ‘gifts’ category.

Followers: Just like Twitter, you can ‘Follow’ people. The function allows you to stay connected to Pinterest users that you appreciate. You can also follow one of their pinboards separately, or follow them, and by default, all of their pinboards.

Pinterest Basics

Likes: Similar to Facebook, you can like a pin.

Comments: Similar to Facebook you can place a comment on a pin.

Repin: Need to place a picture or video that you’ve discovered in Pinterest onto your pinboard, no problem, you just repin it.

Let’s Organize Ourselves

DISCLAIMER: Avoid Self Promotion: Pinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you’re proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion.

Let’s Organize Ourselves

Create A Profile Strategy: Pinterest doesn’t have a business profile option. You need to determine a strategy that uses individuals as spokespeople / representatives for your business in your “brand” account.

Note: Another Strategy is to have Brand Ambassadors who pin for the brand – not many people are doing this.

Let’s Organize Ourselves

Setting up Boards: Create A Collection Of Pinboards That Compliment Your Business Recommend 5-8 pinboards that are related to your

industry or topic.

Own Your Pins: Always pin your own product pins from your site so they link back to you

Gaining Followers

Email Strategy: send out an email letting them know that 'we have a new obsession'...Pinterest. Explain it, include an intro about how you are using Pinterest, and we offer to invite them into Pinterest if they haven't already joined the party.

Gaining Followers

Facebook Strategy: Use The Pinterest Invite Tool To Invite Your FB Profile

Friends (Not Fanpage Fans/likers) To Follow You Make a "Your New Offer" (Remember... "Follow Us On

Pinterest") On Your FB Fanpage Start pushing your Pinterest Pins, or Repins To Facebook

Gaining Followers

YouTube Strategy: Make a video: A screencast would be best, describing Pinterest,

showing your profile and inviting everyone to come find you on Pinterest. Include a link to your profile in the description of the video, so people can easily click into Pinterest and find you.

Use The Broadcast Message Tool: Send a message to all of your subscribers inviting them to your Pinterest profile.

Use The Call-To-Action Overlay On Your Own Videos: You can get clicks for literally nothing, by using this tool.

Include a Pinterest ‘Blurb’ in your videos Pin Your Videos: Pinterest is a video sharing tool in addition to

an image sharing tool.

Gaining Followers

Twitter Strategy: Tweet some, but not all of your pins. Invite people to follow you on Pinterest in your curated

area of expertise with hashtags

Photos That Make You Go Ahhh… Kid Wonder: Take a picture of a kid with an exciting

expression associated with your product Humor: Make your product funny. Sex Appeal: Can you display your product in a way

that triggers a favorable physical response? – Sexy not slutty is the key here.

Your Product As Artwork: Find an artistic way to show your product or have an artist actually do that.

Photos That Make You Go Ahhh… Your Product As a Holiday/Seasonal item: People get warm

and fuzzy around the idea of the holidays – any holiday. Your Product with a puppy: Puppies are a huge hit on Pinterest.

Oh, and cats. But remember Puppies = people, cats = crazy ladies Your Product with a baby: Babies, there is nothing cuter. Your Product presented as a gift: Is there a way to position

your product as a cool gift for someone? Your product with a quote in the photo – MOST SHARED Your product as part of a How To – 2nd Most Shared

The Top 10 to Gain Traction

Initiate Connections: An effective way to get other people to follow you is to follow them first.

Hashtags: Using #hashtags on Pinterest will automatically query a search for whatever word you tag.

Comment on Other Peoples Pins: Don’t just live simple little one word comments, if you want to make an impression put some thought into what you say, and add a unique interpretation to the content that was pinned.

The Top 10 to Gain Traction

Get Popular: Repinly.com tracks Pinterest pins, boards and pinners and you can sort the most popular pins – good for research too.

Install Pin It button or Functionality to Your Blog: Pin it buttons make it easy for people to pin your content.

The Top 10 to Gain Traction

Curate a Variety: Pinterest has more women users than male, and they make MOST of the buying decisions in a household. Remember that when pinning.

Content is King: Post very compelling content – obviously.

The Top 10 to Gain Traction